Frequently
Asked Questions
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service
is a team of federal law enforcement professionals dedicated
to protecting the people, families, and assets of the U.S.
Navy and Marine Corps worldwide. Over 1000 special agents
and more than 1000 support personnel work to prevent terrorism,
protect secrets, and reduce crime affecting the Department
of the Navy.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service
(NCIS) has primary investigative and counterintelligence jurisdiction
within the Department of the Navy. NCIS has a global presence,
maintaining a worldwide field structure that supports Navy
and Marine Corps requirements in over 140 locations around
the globe, including aboard every aircraft carrier and "big-deck"
amphibious vessel. NCIS special agents are authorized by law
to conduct arrests of military members and civilians alike,
both on and off military installations.
If you are 21 to 37 years old, a U.S.-born
or naturalized U.S. citizen, have an accredited baccalaureate
degree, and color vision correctable to 20/20, you may be
eligible to be an NCIS special agent. Learn how to apply
here. There are other professional career positions at
NCIS such as intelligence analyst, security specialist, and
administrative staff. To learn more, visit NCIS
Professional and Support Careers.
NCIS is primarily responsible for investigating
actual, suspected or alleged major criminal offenses involving
the U.S. Department of the Navy, or Navy or Marine Corps personnel.
A major criminal offense—or a felony—is defined
as an act punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice
(UCMJ) by imprisonment of more than one year, or punishable
under similarly framed federal, state, local, or foreign laws.
Examples of such major criminal offenses include, but are
not limited to, homicide, rape, espionage and fraud. NCIS
does not investigate UCMJ offenses of a purely military character,
such as desertion or UCMJ violations involving consensual
sexual activities.
Contact your nearest NCIS
Field Office or, for general assistance, Naval Criminal
Investigative Service Headquarters Code 00, 716 Sicard St,
SE Ste 2000, Washington Navy Yard, DC 20388-5380.
NCIS frequently works with other federal,
state and local law enforcement agencies, but specializes
in crime within or directed against the Department of the
Navy. Like many other agencies, NCIS is a primarily civilian
agency that handles felony crime and domestic counterintelligence.
However, given its diverse global mission, a significant portion
of NCIS' investigations and operations occur in overseas venues,
where the agency is engaged with foreign law enforcement and
security services on a daily basis. NCIS also deals with many
issues traditionally associated with other agencies, such
as overseas counterintelligence, firearms and explosives,
customs violations and immigration, fugitives, environmental
crimes and protective services.
NCIS is a primarily civilian agency that
reports directly to the Secretary of the Navy, who is a civilian
appointed by the President, and is thus outside both the Navy
and Marine Corps chain of command. However, NCIS works closely
with Marine Corps and Navy personnel serving as military police
and naval security forces, as well as with civilians who serve
as law enforcement officers at some naval installations. In
fact, some NCIS special agents serve as Regional Investigative
Coordinators (RICs) advising on and overseeing investigations
conducted by these personnel. In general, NCIS handles major
felony cases while military police and naval security handle
misdemeanors and lower level felony cases deferred by NCIS.
The authority of the NCIS is found in SECNAV
(Secretary of the Navy) Instruction 5520.3B, which states
that NCIS has primary investigative and counterintelligence
jurisdiction within the Department of the Navy. NCIS' jurisdiction
is grounded and documented in Presidential Executive Order,
as well as several Department of Defense and Secretary of
the Navy instructions noted in SECNAV Instruction 5520.3B.
NCIS is headed by a civilian special agent
appointed by the Secretary of the Navy. The current Director
of NCIS is Special Agent David
L. Brant.
In the interest of protecting both the integrity
of the investigation and the privacy of the individual(s)
involved, the public cannot obtain information on pending
NCIS investigations. However, the Freedom
of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 522) enables private
citizens to request a wide range of government documents,
including closed NCIS investigations. For additional information,
please refer to the Department of the Navy's “FOIA Online”
prepared by the Navy Office of General Counsel.
Individuals selected to become an NCIS special
agents must first complete the NCIS Basic Agent Course, held
at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) at
Glynco, Georgia. The course is 15 weeks in duration and includes
a nine-week basic criminal investigator's course, and a six-week
NCIS add-on. NCIS is one of 70 law enforcement agencies that
train at FLETC. Others include the U.S. Secret Service and
the U.S. Marshals Service.
NCIS grew out of the Office of Naval Intelligence
(ONI) during World War I. In 1966, the name Naval Investigative
Service (NIS) was adopted to distinguish the organization
from the rest of ONI, and in 1992 the first civilian director
was appointed and name of the agency was changed to the Naval
Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). See History.
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